Push button fastening device for safety belt portions

ABSTRACT

A push button fastener device for two safety belt portions in which a fastener body has one belt portion secured to one end and an insertion aperture, at the other end, for a tongue to which the other belt portion is secured, the body including an abutment which engages in an opening in the tongue. The body has a top plate and a pair of parallel side walls and this is embraced by a U-shaped operating member, pivoted to the body about an axis perpendicular to the side walls, and having side flanges adjacent the side walls. A pair of aligned slots in the side flanges extend obliquely to the direction of the tongue in the locked position and a pair of aligned slots in the side walls have portions which extend also obliquely to the tongue, but transverse to the slots in the side flanges. A pin extending through all the slots, is urged by a spring between the top wall of the body and the web of the operating member, to press the tongue, so that the opening engages the tongue. Depression of the operating member, against the spring, moves the pin in the slots away from the tongue, and an extension on the operating member then pushes the tongue so that it disengages from the abutment. Leaf springs in the insertion aperture for the tongue push the tongue out of the fastener body when it is released from the abutment.

United States Patent Meiller et al.

[75] Inventors: Hermann Meiller. Ambcrg; Horst Hocke, Mimhach, both of Germany [73] Assignee: Willibad Crammer. Amberg.

Germany [221 Filed: July 29, 1974 [211 Appl. No: 492,784

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 7, 19 3 Germany 2339910 [52] US. Cl. 24/23() A; 24/230 AV [51] Int. Cl A44h 19/00 [58] Field of Search 24/230 AV. 230 R, 230 A, 24/230 AK. 230 AL1297/385 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3.252.195 5/1966 Selncs 24/230 AV 3.353.234 11/1967 Settimi 24/230 A 3.562.877 2/1971 Pringle et al.... 24/230 A 3594372 7/1971 Kulwin et a1 24/230 A Primary E.\'aminer-Werner H. Schroeder Assistant Examiner-Peter Nerbun Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Mam & .langarathis 1 May 20, 1975 [57 ABSTRACT A push button fastener device for two safety belt portions in which a fastener body has one belt portion secured to one end and an insertion aperture, at the other end. for a tongue to which the other belt portion is secured, the body including an abutment which engages in an opening in the tongue. The body has a top plate and a pair of parallel side walls and this is embraced by a U-shaped operating member, pivoted to the body about an axis perpendicular to the side walls, and having side flanges adjacent the side walls. A pair of aligned slots in the side flanges extend obliquely to the direction of the tongue in the locked position and a pair of aligned slots in the side walls have portions which extend also obliquely to the tongue, but transverse to the slots in the side flanges. A pin extending through all the slots. is urged by a spring between the top wall of the body and the web of the operating member. to press the tongue. so that the opening engages the tongue. Depression of the operating member, against the spring, moves the pin in the slots away from the tongue, and an extension on the operating member then pushes the tongue so that it disengages from the abutment. Leaf springs in the insertion aperture for the tongue push the tongue out of the fastener body when it is released from the abutment.

11 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PUSH BUTTON FASTENING DEVICE FOR SAFETY BELT PORTIONS The present invention relates to a push button fastening device for safety belt portions of the type which includes a fastener body secured to a first belt portion and having the push button arranged at the front side of the body, whose end face remote from the first belt portion is provided with an insertion aperture, into which is insertable a tongue secured to the second belt portion, said tongue havinga transverse ridge cooperating with an abutment fixed with respect to the fastener body, such that, in the engaged condition of the abutment and the transverse ridge, that is to say the locked condition, the tongue is held in this position by a locking member, which is itself, resiliently retained in position.

Such push button fastening devices are described, for example, in the German Specifications Nos. 1,960,967 and 1,918,494 as laid open to inspection. In these known push button fastening devices there is provided, for the purpose of locking the tongue of the second belt portion, a plate shaped locking member parallel to said tongue when situated in the locked position and displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the body of the fastener. In the two known types of push button fastening devices there is provided for moving this locking member a relatively complicated mechanism including motion transmitting levers oblique surfaces and so on. This arrangement renders the known push button fastening devices comparatively unreliable in operation. In particular a relatively large force isnecessary for their operation. With the object of reducing this force -it has been proposed according to the German Specification No. 1,960,967, as laid open to inspection, to make the locking member of a particular synthetic plastics material. However, this feature is accompanied by the disadvantage of reduced mechanical strength. A further fault of the known fastening devices resides in the fact that, in general, the release of the tongue from the fastener, after the pressing of the button, canonly take place when the tongue is brought into a definite oblique position with respect to the casing of the fastener. It may indeed be assumed that this oblique position would usually be attained by reason of the position of the belt with respect to the body of the user. However, iris a fact that this condition is not sufficient to ensure in all cases that a reliable release operation can be effected.

According to the present invention there is provided a push button fastener device for releasably fastening two belt portions, such device comprising a fastener body having an insertion aperture in one end, for insetting a tongue securable to one safety belt portion, means for securing the other safety belt portion to the other end of the fastener body, an abutment on the fastener body engageable with a transverse ridge on Said tongue, two spaced apart substantially parallel side 7 walls on said fastener body, having aligned slots arranged obliquely relative to a line extending between the ends of said body, an operating member pivotally mounted on the fastener body about an axis perpendicular to said side walls, said operating member being of lJ-shaped cross-section having a web portion constituting a push button and two side flanges, one adjacent each of said side walls of the fastener body, said Side flanges having aligned slots arranged at least partly obliquely relative to said line, transverse to said slots in said side flanges and at least partly overlying said slots in said side flanges a pin passing through said slots in said side flanges and said side walls and resilient means to urge said operating member to move said pin to engage a tongue in said body, so that the transverse ridge is urged into engagement with the abutment, release of the ridge being normally prevented by the cooperating ends of said slots nearest said insertion aperture precluding movement of said pin.

The fastener device according to the invention therefore consists basically apart from the return spring for the push button and the tongue secured to the second belt portion of only three components, namely the fastener body having the two side walls provided with the oblique slots, the U-shaped operating member, whose side flanges are also provided with slots, and the pin serving to secure the tongue in the locked position. The device is therefore substantially simplified in respect of its construction as compared with the known fastening devices. Nevertheless by means of the provision of the oblique slots a satisfactory locking and unlocking of the tongue by means of the pin is ensured, whilst in addition reliable operation requiring only a small amount offorce is possible. Besides the fastener body, the operating member and the pin can be manufactured simply in a very robust form. Tests have shown that when the fastener is subjected to tensile stress, the part serving to secure the end of the belt to the tongue, for example the eye, will be torn away before any deformation takes place in the parts of the locking mechanism or the fastener itself.

A particularly reliable locking and unlocking action is achieved if the two slots formed in the body, i.e., the slots in the side walls of the body of the fastener, are of angled shape, such that, when seen in the direction of insertion of the tongue, the first part of the slot is directed substantially parallel to the plane of the tongue in the locked position, whilst the second part of the slot is inclined towards the rear side of the fastener body.

Advantageously, the fastener body includes a top plate supporting the two side walls, upon which top plate the abutment is arranged, whilst the operating member embraces the front side of the fastener body, and a return spring is inserted between the cover plate and the web portion of the operating member. In such a case it is possible for both the body of the fastener as well as the operating member to be produced in a simple manner as punched components. In this construction it is particularly advantageous if the web portion of the operating member is provided with an extension which passes through an aperture in the top plate of the body of the fastener, which extension bears upon the tongue in the region of the transverse ridge for the purpose of unlocking. In this manner, upon moving the web portion of the operating member, that is to say upon depressing the push button, the tongue, to which the end of the belt is secured, is simultaneously moved away by the extension. By this means, in the push button fastener according to the invention, it is not necessary for the belt to assume any special position when effecting release of the tongue. On the contrary the tongue is moved automatically into the released position. When an extension such as that described above is used, the return spring is then preferably in the form of a helical compression spring located around said extension between the web portion of the operating member and the top plate of the body of the fastener. In its simplest practical form the extension may be constituted by an offset part of theweb portion, which extension may then be formed when punching out the operating member.

In order to ensure a reliable release of the connection between the two belt portions, in the case where the belt is not under tension, it is possible according to the invention to combine with the body of the fastener an ejection spring, which engages with the tongue in the region of the insertion aperture and which is stressed terial which way the tongue end of the belt is inserted in the insertion aperture.

It is also possible to produce the body of the fastener as a cast metal component, to that end of which, remote from the insertion aperture, the first belt portion can be secured, and which serves for the positioning of the operating element, whilst the cast metal component is embraced by a casing, which is providedat the front side with a window aperture giving access to a part of the web portion of the operating member serving as the 7 push button. I v V The casing is preferably manufactured 1 of synthetic a body member indicated by the general reference 1, which is secured to one belt portion 2. To this body member 1 there can be secured a tongue member indicated by the general reference 3, with which is engaged the other belt portion 4..

The tongue member 3 consists in a known manner of a substantially flat tongue 5 having near its leading end an aperture 6, which forms a transverse ridge 7. The

"leading end of the tongue 5 can be inserted into the body member 1 through a transverse insertion aperture 8 provided-therein. The rearward portion of the tongue 5, which is then projecting from the insertion aperture 8, is provided with a cladding 9 of synthetic plastics material or the'like, which in general will be injection moulded. In this way a transverse slot 10 is formed 'through which is placed the other end of the belt 4 and secured thereto.

In the region in which the cladding 9 engages in the insertion aperture the tongue is provided with a boss 1 1 atthe upper and lower side thereof, as may be seen particularly in' FIG. 4. This boss cooperates, in the manner shown in FIG. 4, with a leaf spring 12 functioning as an ejectionspring, which is retained in position by plugging the spring into diagrammatically illustrated transverse slots. 13 of the fastener casing 14. If the tongue portion 3 of the belt connector is inserted into the body member 1 and locked therein (full lines in FIG. 4), then the spring 12 assumes the position shown by dashed plastics material, particularly as it is hardly called upon to take any mechanical load. In such a construction of the body of the fastener it is possible for the ends of the ejection spring to be retained in lateralslots of the casing, in which case the casing can then be formed in two parts having a transverse separation line which is lo-,

cated in general substantially in the plane of the insertion aperture. If then the separation of the casing is eflines i' n FIG. 4. Upon releasing the lock for the tongue 5. or the tongue member 3, the leaf spring is able to relax and returns to the rest position 12 shown in dashed and dotted lines in-FIG. 4. As a consequence of theaction of the leaf spring 12 upon the boss 11 of the cladding 9, the end of the tongue 3 is displaced into the dashed and dotted position of FIG. 4, in which the transverse ridge 7 of the tongue 5 is situated in a position in which its hooking to the abutment 15 of the body member 1 is prevented, so that a reliable release of the'connection of the ends of the safety belt is fected at a suitable point, namely at a positionremoved from the centre of the insertion aperture by the thick-.;

ness of the tongue, then it is possible to locate the ejection spring only in the transverse slots of one of the easing parts. Obviously it is also possible, instead of a single ejection spring, to employ two such springs,

whereby the ejection force maybe increased. The

bosses provided upon the tongue member can be formed in an injection moulded cladding of synthetic plastics material surrounding the tongue, which will in general be made of metal.

achieved when the belt is not in the tensioned condition. 1

The fastening device 1 is provided with a body member indicated by the general reference 16 and consisting of a component fabricated from metal. To this body member is secured the belt portion 2, for example by means of a rivet 17; this belt portion may be provided, as in the present case, with a wire loop or the like.

The body member 16, as seen particularly in FIG. 3, comprisesa top plate '18, at each side of which there are side walls l9extending substantially normal to the I plane of the tongue 5. To the side walls 19 of the body The invention will be more fully understood from the following description, which is given by way of example, reference being made to the ings, in which: I

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through one embodiment of fastening device according to the invention, shown in the locked position;

accompanying dr'a'w- FIG. 2 is a section through the fastening device of FIG. 1, in the released position; v

FIG. 3 is a section along the line III-III of FIG 1;

and I FIG. 4 is a part plan view of the fastening device including the belt end provided with the tongue, and indicating in particular the position of the ejection spring. As may be seen from the drawing, the push button fastening device according to the invention comprises member 16 there'is coupled a U cross-section operating member indicated by the general reference 21. This operating member 21 has a web 22 portion and a pair of side flanges 23 (FIG. 3) extending parallel to the side walls 19. The web portion 22, which is provided with a covering 24, usually distinctively coloured, serves at the same time as a push button.

The casing 14 is provided at the front side with a window aperture 25 in order to give access to this push button for its operation in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2.

For effecting the locking of the tongue 5 in the position shown in FIG. 1, in which the transverse ridge 7 of the tongue engages the abutment 15, a pin 26 is provided, whose two ends 27, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, are engaged in a slot 28 in each side wall 19 of the body member 16 and a slot 29 in each side flange 23 of the operating member 21. The two similarly directed and shaped slots 28 in the side walls 19 of the body member 16 are of angled shape as may be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. As seen from the direction of the insertion aperture 8, the first part of the slot is directed substantially parallel to the tongue in the locked position (FIG. 1 whilst the second part of the slot runs from the direction of the insertion aperture in the direction of the rear side 30 of the fastener body 1. On the other hand the slot 29 is completely straight. This slot proceeds away from the insertion aperture 8 and obliquely in a direction towards the front side 31 of the fastener 1, that is to say generally transverse to the slot 28.

The ends of the slots 28 and 29 at the insertion aperture side are such that, if these two ends of the slots 28 and 29 coincide with each other in the locking position of FIG. 1, the-pin 26 is positioned so close to the leading end 32 of the tongue 5 that the release of the transverseridge 7 from the abutment is prevented. If now a pressure is exerted upon the push button 24 in the direction of the arrow as represented in FIG. 2, the slots 28, 29 are oppositely displaced, whereby the ends of the pin 26 are carried along by the slots and the pin is brought into the position shown in FIG. 2, in which release of the transverse ridge 7 of the tongue end 32 from the abutment 15 is possible.

The operating member 21 constituting the push button 24 is forced by a return spring 33 resiliently into the locking position of FIG. 1. The return spring 33 is a helical compression spring. It is positioned upon a downward extension 34 of the web portion 22 of the operating member 21, being located between the web portion 22 and the top plate 18 of the body member 16. The extension 34 passes through an aperture 35 in the top plate 18 of the body member 16 in such a manner that, upon depressing the push button 24, the free end face of the extension 34 comes into engagement with the leading end 32 of the tongue 5 and thereby removes the transverse ridge 7 away from the abutment 15 in a direction towards the rear side of the fastening device. In this manner, upon operating the push button 24, not only is the locked condition for the tongue 5 removed, but at the same time the tongue is reliably released from the corresponding abutment upon the body memher, without it being necessary for the tongue to assume a particular oblique position with respect to the top plate 18 of the body member 16. The extension 34 can be formed in a particularly simple manner simply by using an offset part of the web portion 22 of the operating member 21.

Obviously it is possible within the scope of the invention to adopt a series of modifications in the practical example here represented. For example in the foregoing description it has been assumed that the transverse ridge 7 is the edge of a cavity 6 passing completely through the tongue 5. The transverse ridge could obviously also be formed by two lateral extensions. A further possibility would be to form the transverse ridge by bending the tongue, in which case however the insertion and release of the tongue would possibly be made more difficult. Furthermore the special design of the individual components of the fastener body 1 could be varied insofar as concerns the mutually cooperating pairs of slots. We claim:

6 1. A push button fastener device for releasably fastening two safety belt portions, said device comprising, in combination:

a. a fastener body having an insertion aperture in one end, for inserting a tongue securable to one safety belt portion;

b. means for securing the other safety belt portion to i the other end of said fastener body;

c. an abutment on said fastener body engageable with a transverse ridge on said tongue;

d. two spaced. apart substantially parallel side walls on thefastener body, having aligned slots arranged obliquely relative to a line extending between said one end and said other end of said body;

e. an operating member pivotally mounted on said fastener body, about an axis perpendicular to said side walls, said operating member being of U- shaped cross-section, having a web portion constituting a push button and two side flanges, one adjacent each of said side walls of the fastener body, said flanges having aligned slots arranged at least partly obliquely relative to said line, transverse to said slots in said side flanges and at least partly overlying said slots in said side flanges;

f. a pin' passing through said slots in said side flanges and said side walls; and

g. resilient means effective to urge said operating member to move said pin to engage a tongue inserted in said body, so that said transverse ridge is urged into engagement with said abutment, release of said ridge being normally prevented by the coop erating ends of said slots nearest said insertion aperture precluding movement of said pin.

2. A fastener device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two slots in the side walls are of angled shape and, as seen from the insertion direction of the tongue, the first portion of the slots is arranged substantially parallel to said insertion direction, whilst the second portion of the slots is arranged obliquely towards the end of the body remote from the insertion aperture.

3. A fastener device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastener body comprises a top plate supporting the two side walls, the abutment being formed on said top plate, the operating member embracing the fastener body, the resilient means comprising a return spring inserted between the top plate and the web portion of the operating member.

4. A fastener device as claimed in claim 3, and further comprising means defining an aperture in the top plate, and an extension of the web portion of the operating member extending through the aperture in the top plate effective to bear upon a tongue inserted in the fastener body, at a point adjacent the transverse ridge to unlock the device.

5. A fastener device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the return spring is a helical compression spring surrounding the extension. I

6. A fastener device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the extension is formed by an offset portion of the web portion of the operating member.

7. A fastener device as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising an ejection spring connected to the fastener body in the region of the insertion aperture, said spring being engageable with a tongue inserted in said insertion aperture, said ejection spring being stressed when the tongue is inserted into the fastener body.

8. A fastener device as claimed in claim 7, wherein I the ejection spring is a leaf spring which is held in the region of its ends and extends along a longitudinal edge of the insertion aperture, arid is deflected towards the outer side thereof, said spring being cooperable substantially centrally with one of a pair of bosses provided on the tongue.

9. A'fastener device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the fastener body is a part fabricated from metal, at the terminal edge of which remote from the insertion aperture is provided said belt securing means, said metal fabricated part serving for positioning the operating member, and further comprising a casing surrounding said fastener body and means defining a window aperture allowing access to a part of the web portion of the,

member and further comprising a casing surrounding said fastener body and means defining a window aperture allowing access to a part of the web portion of the operating member functioning as the push button.

* III l 

1. A push button fastener device for releasably fastening two safety belt portions, said device comprising, in combination: a. a fastener body having an insertion aperture in one end, for inserting a tongue securable to one safety belt portion; b. means for securing the other safety belt portion to the other end of said fastener body; c. an abutment on said fastener body engageable with a transverse ridge on said tongue; d. two spaced apart substantially parallel side walls on the fastener body, having aligned slots arranged obliquely relative to a line extending between said one end and said other end of said body; e. an operating member pivotally mounted on said fastener body, about an axis perpendicular to said side walls, said operating member being of U-shaped cross-section, having a web portion constituting a push button and two side flanges, one adjacent each of said side walls of the fastener body, said flanges having aligned slots arranged at least partly obliquely relative to said line, transverse to said slots in said side flanges and at least partly overlying said slots in said side flanges; f. a pin passing through said slots in said side flanges and said side walls; and g. resilient means effective to urge said operating member to move said pin to engage a tongue inserted in said body, so that said transverse ridge is urged into engagement with said abutment, release of said ridge being normally prevented by the cooperating ends of said slots nearest said insertion aperture precluding movement of said pin.
 2. A fastener device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two slots in the side walls are of angled shape and, as seen from the insertion direction of the tongue, the first portion of the slots is arranged substantially parallel to said insertion direction, whilst the second portion of the slots is arranged obliquely towards the end of the body remote from the insertion aperture.
 3. A fastener device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastener body comprises a top plate supporting the two side walls, the abutment being formed on said top plate, the operating member embracing the fastener body, the resilient means comprising a return spring inserted between the top plate and the web portion of the operating member.
 4. A fastener device as claimed in claim 3, and further comprising means defining an aperture in the top plate, and an extension of the web portion of the operating member extending through the aperture in the top plate effective to bear upon a tongue inserted in the fastener body, at a point adjacent the transverse ridge to unlock the device.
 5. A fastener device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the return spring is a helical compression spring surrounding the extension.
 6. A fastener device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the extension is formed by an offset portion of the web portion of the operating member.
 7. A fastener device as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising an ejection spring connected to the fastener body in the region of the insertion aperture, said spring being engageable with a tongue inserted in said insertion aperture, said ejection spring being stressed when the tongue is inserted into the fastener body.
 8. A fastener device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the ejection spring is a leaf spring which is held in the region of its ends and extends along a longitudinal edge of the insertion aperture, and is deflected towards the outer side thereof, said spring being cooperable substantially centrally with one of a pair of bosses provided on the tongue.
 9. A fastener device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the fastener body is a part fabricated from metal, at the terminal edge of which remote from the insertion aperture is provided said belt securing means, said metal fabricated part serving for positioning the operating member, and further comprising a casing surrounding said fastener body and means defining a window aperture allowing access to a part of the web portion of the operating member functioning as the push button.
 10. A fastener device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the ends of the ejection spring are held in lateral transverse slots of the casing.
 11. A fastener device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastener body is a part fabricated from metal, at a terminal edge of which remote from the insertion aperture is provided said belt securing means, said metal fabricated part serving for positioning the operating member and further comprising a casing surrounding said fastener body and means defining a window aperture allowing access to a part of the web portion of the operating member functioninG as the push button. 